Pope Francis says that to be capable of mercy, we must first dispose ourselves to listen to the Word of God. 

 

1.  Build some silence into our days.

2. Pay more attention to the Word of God proclaimed in the liturgy.

3. Consider your own need for mercy. Ask God our Father for mercy and open yourself to receive his mercy, freely given in abundance.

4. Practise the ancient way of praying with the scriptures known as Lectio Divina

5. Participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the year.

6. We prepare ourselves by asking God for deeper understanding of what mercy is in our relationship with Him.

Mercy in Hebrew is ‘hesed’ and ‘eleos’. The former evokes the idea of goodness with someone in mind, i.e. in the context of a relationship. Eleos is the outward manifestation of compassion. The word is used of God our Father who is rich in mercy (Eph2:4). Eleos expresses his will to save those who not only stand in need of his mercy, but are unworthy of it. The mercy of God is a concrete reality of His love, indicating his action towards us. Love by its nature is concrete.